The present invention relates to an inner mirror with a built-in antenna for a vehicle. More particularly, the present invention relates to an inner mirror with a built-in antenna in which an antenna angle remains unchanged irrespective of adjustment of a mirror angle.
A vehicle-mounted equipment for the Electronic Toll Collection System (hereinafter, referred to as xe2x80x9cETC vehicle-mounted equipmentxe2x80x9d) consists of a main body of the vehicle-mounted equipment and an antenna. Generally, the ETC vehicle-mounted equipment is installed on an instrument panel. However, if it is built in an inner mirror, an obstacle disappears on the instrument panel, so that easy driving and improved appearance are provided. The ETC vehicle-mounted equipment, the antenna of the ETC vehicle-mounted equipment has a strong directivity. Therefore, if it is not mounted at an angle of approximately 20xc2x0 in the up and down direction and parallel to the left and right direction with respect to a vehicle running direction, therer is a problem in that a stable communication can not be provided. In contrast, since a whole mirror body of an inner mirror is pivotally disposed relative to a stay so that mirror angle adjustment can be made. The antenna direction is changed when the ETC vehicle-mounted equipment is built in and a user adjusts a mirror angle. As a result, there is a problem to be unable to ensure a stable communication.
The present invention is directed to overcoming the above-stated problems. An object of the present invention is to provide an inner mirror with a built-in antenna such that an antenna angle remains unchanged, even though a mirror moves within a mirror body for adjusting a mirror angle.
According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inner mirror with a built-in antenna comprising a mirror body provided with a mirror at the front thereof; a stay mounted at one end on an appropriate place in a vehicle room and inserted at the other end into the mirror body for pivotally mounting and supporting said mirror body at the other end; and an antenna mounted on a portion of the stay inserted into the mirror body such that the antenna does not interfere with the pivoting movement of the mirror body within said mirror body.
With this arrangement, the antenna is mounted on the portion of the stay inserted into the mirror body such that the antenna does not interfere with the mirror body even though a mirror body moves within a mirror body for adjusting a mirror angle. Therefore, the antenna direction remains unchanged. This allows to obtain a stable communication.
According to the other aspect of the present invention, there is provided an inner mirror with a built-in antenna comprising a stay mounted in a vehicle room, a first gear non-pivotally and fixedly disposed at the tip end of the stay with its axis being directed toward the lateral direction of a vehicle; a mirror body supported in the first gear pivotally around the axis of the first gear, and provided with a mirror at the front thereof; multi-stage gears pivotally supported in said mirror body, engaged with the first gear, and rotated while they follow pivoting movement of the mirror body, wherein the axis of a final stage gear is disposed parallel to the axis of the first gear; and an antenna received into the mirror body and mounted on the final stage gear, wherein a total gear stage number and a total gear ratio are set so that when the mirror body has been pivoted in the direction around the axis of the first gear, said final stage gear does not rotate relative to the first gear.
With this arrangement, since the total gear stage number and the total gear ratio are set so that when the mirror body has been pivoted around the axis of the first gear, the final stage gear does not rotate relative to the first gear. The antenna direction remains unchanged even though the mirror angle in the up and down direction is adjusted by pivoting the mirror body in the up and down direction. This allows to bring a stable communication. The total gear stage number may be set, for example, to be odd number stages. The total gear ratio may be set, for example, to be 1.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an innermirror with a built-in antenna comprising a stay mounted in a vehicle room, a first gear non-pivotally and fixedly disposed at the tip end of the stay with its axis being directed toward the up and down direction; a mirror body supported in the first gear pivotally in the direction around the axis of the first gear, and provided with a mirror at the front thereof; multi-stage gears rotatably supported in the mirror body, engaged with the first gear, and rotated while they follow pivoting movement of the mirror body, wherein the axis of a final stage gear is disposed parallel to the axis of the first gear, and an antenna received into the mirror body and mounted on the final stage gear, wherein a total gear stage number and a total gear ratio are set so that when said mirror body has been pivoted around the axis of the first gear, the final stage gear does not rotate relative to the first gear.
With this arrangement, since the total gear stage number and the total gear ratio are set so that when the mirror body has been pivoted in the direction around the axis of the first gear, the final stage gear does not rotate relative to the first gear. Accordingly the antenna direction keeps unchanged, even though the mirror angle in the left and right direction is adjusted by pivoting the mirror body in the left and right direction. This brings a stable communication. The total gear stage number may be set, for example, to be odd number stages. The total gear ratio may be set, for example, to be 1.